Double or Quits
by MeteorLeopard
Summary: "I haven't been on a date in ten years, and then it has to be Draco Malfoy of all people!" I pouted crossly at the thought of going anywhere with that good for nothing Slytherin. Dramione. One-shot by SugarFox. :) Post Hogwarts. EWE. Enjoy!


**A fun little Dramione I whipped up a while back. Enjoy!**

Double or Quits

"Oh mom, don't look so unimpressed with life!" My 16 year old daughter Rose scolded me playfully with a wide grin. She was lounging on my bed a few feet away watching while I applied my makeup. I pulled a face at her in the mirror just as I finished out lining my brown eyes neatly in black.

"That is easy for you to say," I told her as I began shoving important items into my purse. "I haven't been on a date in ten years, and then it has to be Draco Malfoy of all people!" I pouted crossly at the thought of going anywhere with that good for nothing Slytherin.

"Well you just had to take that bet didn't you?" The little minx teased me with a giggle. She was having far too much fun at her own mother's expense, I thought.

I snorted sourly as I remembered my moment of foolishness when I thought I could beat Draco Malfoy at his own game. However his smug grin at their firm's annual meeting could not go unchallenged. Both of us worked as attorneys for a private firm that dealt with civil legal cases and had done so for the last four years. Malfoy never failed to get under my skin and make remarks that were just asking to be disputed.

"Men outperform women in this firm when it comes to closing and settling cases." He had pronounced to the entire meeting and set me into a feminist rage. How dare he make such ridiculous presumptions?!

"Prove it!" I had demanded angrily from across the boardroom. The other occupants of the room fell to hushed silence at my outburst but I couldn't care less. Malfoy paused for a second as if in thought before he spoke.

"Alright," He agreed almost too easily. "But if I can prove it you have to have dinner with me at a restaurant of my choice." He had laid out the terms of the challenge with his signature naughty boy grin. I frowned at his stormy grey eyes dancing in devilish merriment. I glanced around the boardroom table and saw everyone's eyes trained on me. I was cornered and there was no way out. He had coerced me, the jerk!

"Fine," I took up his challenge easily. "But if I win you will be my gopher for a week. Anything I want fetched and carried somewhere, you'll do it." I sat back in my chair and crossed my arms, "And that includes getting my coffee." The meeting dissolved into hushed murmurs at the sudden challenge.

Susan Bones from the divorce department had shrieked with laughter that the thought of the great Draco Malfoy being reduced to being a gopher. I must say the thought of having Malfoy under my control and fetching my coffee filled me with delighted prickles of satisfaction. I almost expected him to hesitate in accepting our deal but he did not. He stood up and leaned across the table and held out a lean but firm hand.

"I accept the Gryffindor Princess's challenge!" He informed the room with a dramatic showmanship that could only come from Draco Malfoy.

Disaster of disasters! I lost the bet. Only by one case, but a loss is a loss. I grimaced fiercely as I applied my lipstick. The humiliation of losing to that arrogant slimy chauvinist made me so angry I could just spit fire! However I would honour my wager with him. Let no one ever say that Hermione Granger did not fulfil her side of a bet! I angrily shoved my lipstick into my purse as I continued to berate myself for my stupid mistake.

Rose rolled over onto her stomach and lifted her feet while cupping her chin into her hands. Her eyes held a mischievous twinkle and her grin was far too broad for my liking.

"You know what, Mom?" She asked me with an angelic smile. "Since I am spending the night at James's house you could bring him back here. You two could be undisturbed all night and do whatever you want." She winked at me knowingly and innocently fluttered her long eyelashes. I chose to ignore her ridiculous suggestion. I felt so scandalized! Bring Draco Malfoy back home?! Good grief, no!

With a final glance in the mirror I stood up and grabbed my black coat. I gave it a good shake to get out any creases and wished I was shaking the smug smirk off the face of one Mr Draco Malfoy instead.

"He is an underhanded, no good, troublemaking Slytherin!" I informed her finally with a tone that boded no questioning or arguments. Except of course that teenage girls tend not to agree with their mothers.

"Oh come on mom!" Rose protested as I ensured that my wand was in my purse too before leaving my room. Rose was hot on my heels and intent that I hear her out. "I have met Draco and he is a sweetheart! And he is very good looking!" She continued as she followed me around the kitchen. "You just don't like him because of your playground feuds back at Hogwarts."

"And with good reason!" I countered crossly. "He was bloody awful!"

Rose seemed to find my stubbornness amusing because she laughed loudly, "Maybe he will grow on you." She said and I shook my head.

I gave her a cynical glare as I wrote a few items onto my fridge shopping list. "Not likely." I assured her with a frown and her humour seemed to sober a bit. She stopped laughing and her face took on a serious expression.

"Be cool, Mom." She said comfortingly. "Go out and enjoy yourself. You deserve it. You worked so hard after dad walked out on us all those years ago and you deserve a little time to yourself." I nodded at her words. The past ten years had been tough on the both of us. Managing a single income and picking up the shattered pieces of our lives after Ron ran off with another woman had left deep emotional scars. It wasn't something I ever wanted to repeat. It was just me and my beautiful red haired baby girl now. I smiled at Rose fondly. We were just fine on our own, just the two of us. Things had only recently begun to look up for us. Firstly with my new promotion that gave the two of us a good financial boost and time healed the hurt. All was going well in our lives lately. Well all except the irritating reoccurring presence of Draco Malfoy.

At that moment the doorbell rang snapping us out of the sombre moment. I quickly check my appearance in the hallway mirror before giving Rose a nervous glance. She gave me an encouraging smile and motioned with her hand for me to get the door.

"Go on, Mom. Open it." She told me, "You look so hot tonight you are going to knock his socks off!" She winked again and I didn't even bother telling her that I didn't care where his socks went. My heart hammered nervously as I opened my front door and there stood the tall figure of Draco Malfoy. That infuriating naughty boy grin cross smirk present on his handsome face as per usual. He held out a single long stemmed red rose for me to take and nodded.

"Good evening, Hermione," He greeted me smoothly and I tried not to frown at his use of my first name. It was something that I would never really get used to. "You look beautiful." He complimented me as I took the rose.

"Thank you, Draco." His name felt foreign on my tongue. His hands now free they fidgeted for a second. Was it my imagination or was the great Draco Malfoy feeling self-conscious? Before I could speculate further on the merits of the self conscious heathen Rose called from the couch.

"Hi Draco!" Her voice carried down the short hallway, "How you doing?"

His face creased into a warm smile as my daughter stuck her head around the corner and he returned her greeting. I tried not to face palm at this. I would never understand why Rose liked him at all. "I am good, Rosie. And you?"

I glared at the pair of them. That is just great, I thought irritably at their exchange. Not even I was allowed to her Rosie. I had a traitor in my own house.

"You take good care of my mom," Rosie told him as she came down the hallway. "She is very special to me," She told him as she placed a protective arm around my shoulders. I felt a warm glow. It was nice to know there was one person I could always rely on when it came to important things.

"I will, Rosie" He assured my daughter and I tried not to scowl at the nickname again. "I am a very lucky man to be going out with your mother." He inserted sincerely and I glared at him with a little less hostility. Maybe he wasn't a complete jerk and I allowed myself to thaw ever so slightly. Rose gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before she almost pushed me out of the door.

Draco led me to his car, opened the passenger door for me and then we drove to a vibey downtown muggle restaurant. His perfectly polite and gentlemanly nature may have helped my opinion of him raise a few notches.

The attentive waiter took our drink orders and when he returned Draco raised his glass in a toast. "To a good evening, a lovely meal and settling of our differences."

I felt like scowling at his audacity but I decided not to be churlish. If I really wanted to infuriate him all I had to do was be perfectly charming tonight and then ignore him at work. After all I had my vicious and undefeatable reputation to maintain.

I raised my glass and honoured only part of his toast. "To a good evening and a lovely meal."

He smiled at me and I couldn't help but think that he had a lovely smile. Even his eyes crinkled in a nice way. If only he wasn't so bloody infuriating all the time I might have wanted something more from him. I was surprised by my own observation.

"I must compliment you on how many cases you close," he said smiling into his glass. "I had to work myself to the bone to just barely beat you each year." He said and I tried not to feel sour about my defeat.

"Then why do you?" I asked him while frowning crossly.

"Because," He met my stern gaze unflinchingly. "It's the only way I can get your attention."

My left eyebrow raised just a fraction at his answer. "Oh really?" I mocked, "Is that the only way you can think to get my attention?" If that remark didn't make him revert to his old infuriating self then nothing would. His charming smile didn't waver and I could see that he was determined to be on his best behaviour.

Suddenly his face took on a more serious expression and I immediately wondered what he was up to.

"If there is one thing I have always admired about you," He said casually. "It's that you are a good sport."

I raised my eyebrows a little higher. He was definitely up to something. I could see it in the impish gleam in his eyes. What could it be?

"I want to take one last bet with you" He said giving me that bloody naughty boy grin again!

I was very wary of him but I was opening to hearing him out. Perhaps this bet would be my redemption. "I am listening," I said in a neutral non committal voice although his smile had my heart beating a little faster. Stop it you stupid heart! It's Draco Malfoy!

"I'll bet that Rose calls you in the next five minutes to see how your date is going." He bet me and I grinned in triumph. Rose would never do such a silly thing. Never in a million years! After all I never call her when she is out on dates with James, so why would she call me? This was one bet I could never lose! I could taste redemption in the near future.

"And if she doesn't?" I asked him confidently.

"I will be your gopher for two weeks." He said casually and his offer was music to my ears.

"And if she does?" I asked him carefully. This was Draco Malfoy, there would be some sort of catch. He wouldn't be Draco Malfoy if the wasn't a catch!

"You kiss me." He said with a grin. "Not a peck on the cheek, mind you but a decent kiss right here in this restaurant." He was suddenly serious and I wondered what I was getting myself into.

He sensed my hesitation and pounced. "Come on," He riled me up. "Double or quits."

My smile grew broader. The cheek of this man! To think that he thought I would kiss him in front of all these people. However the temptation was far too much to refuse! What with the wine and his charming smile I was rash enough to agree.

We shook hands solemnly and I was wondering if I could slip my hand into my purse to turn off my phone just in case. Unfortunately I didn't get that far because at that very second my ringtone let off a chime. I have to admit that my smile slipped more than a little bit. It couldn't be Rose. Surely not!

"Are you going to answer that?" He asked me innocently his naughty boy grin growing under his spinning halo.

With trepidation I reached into my purse and looked at the name flashing on the screen.

_Rose._

I wanted to groan out loud but I kept my face expressionless. No sense in letting him see how irritated I was.

"Hello?" I answered with my voice tinged with a mother's natural worry.

"Hi, Mom!" Rose greeted me cheerfully. "I just wanted to see how your date is going." The little minx! When I get my hands on her I am going to skin her alive!

"Er, fine, thank you." I answered as I glared at Draco who looked far too pleased with his victory.

"Okay, have fun!" Rose said and I could hear she was suppressing a giggle before the line went dead.

I dropped my phone into my purse at a loss of words.

Draco leaned over the table using his elbows to support him. "Come now," He said his voice husky. "Make good on your bet."

I quickly glanced around the restaurant. No one seemed to be paying us too much attention and I always made good on my bets. I leaned forward and my cherry stained lips met his warm ones. I must admit he was a very good kisser and I allowed my lips to linger a little longer that I'd intended. When I finally forced myself to pull away I felt flushed and slightly giddy with surprise. I could feel the ice he had been defrosting all evening finally melt awayA sudden though struck me and I frowned as I considered the implications. Had Rose and Draco possibly colluded with one another over the unexpected phone call? The scoundrels! Well they would never dare admit it now. Not in a million years.

However, somehow I couldn't be angry anymore. The smug satisfied look on his face was enough to convince me that Draco Malfoy was playing for keeps. "I hope you often lose a bet." He told me with a grin and I shook my head wryly.

"You just got lucky."

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